Midweek update from the pastor: Easter

Dear friends in Christ,
I hope you are all doing well this week and getting a chance to enjoy some warmer weather than last week. I’d like to highlight a few things going on in the life of the church:

Outdoor Worship All Sundays in April

Weather permitting, we will have outdoor worship at 11:30 in the parsonage backyard (next to the church parking lot) all the Sundays in April. There will be outdoor Sunday school and nursery care. Wear a mask, bring a chair, and please register ahead. We will still have our live-streamed services at 10am on YouTube .

Sunday 4/11: You may register by contacting the church office or online here: https://forms.gle/Tt76Nn5Jdz2NQBq39 I’m continuing to monitor the weather as there is currently a chance of rain on Sunday, and I will send out an email on Saturday should there be a weather cancellation.

Although the April 11 outdoor service did take place, the Swords and Armor presentation was postponed a week to prevent rusty armor. Join us on April 18 after the 11:30 service behind the parsonage.

Additionally, after outdoor worship on Sunday, our very own Kent S-W will be doing a demonstration on arms and armor for both adults and children. See the flyer attached for more info. (Thanks Katie P for the flyer!)

Sunday 4/18: You may register by calling the church office or through this link: https://forms.gle/i8Gve726EBGLEXQc7

Thank You!

I want to thank all of our volunteers, staff, and musicians who helped with our services this past and who are signed up to help for the coming weeks. Your effort is what makes all we do possible. Thank you.

General Comments

It was so lovely to see many of you outdoors this past week on Maundy Thursday and Easter! I also appreciate everyone who joined us online from locations far and wide.

I’ve attached a picture I got from our outdoor Easter service. If you guys have any pictures from Sunday or Thursday you’d like to share, pass them on to me so I can share them with everyone.

Our church leadership is in the middle of planning for what worship will be in May, and once things are all decided I will certainly share those plans with you. In the past couple of weeks, we’ve been updating our procedures in light of changing conditions and scientific knowledge; we’ve also been reevaluating criteria we’d like to hit before we resume indoor worship. I am hopeful for the coming months, especially as more and more people are vaccinated each day.

On this Easter Wednesday, I was reading one of the devotional books I’ve got, and this passage from 4th century church father St. Gregory of Nazianzus caught my eye for capturing some of the joy of this Easter season:

Yesterday I was crucified with Christ;
today I am glorified with him.
Yesterday I was dead with Christ;
today I am sharing in his resurrection.
Yesterday I was buried with him;
today I am waking with him from the sleep of death.

Peace,
Pastor Katrina